Just a pawn
by RandomRachel
Summary: Oneshot about how Ste feels about Joel and Brendan. Joel feels jealous of their past and tries to threaten Ste. Ste then attempts to open Joel's eyes to what Joel really is to Brendan: just a pawn.


Disclaimer: I don't own Hollyoaks or it's characters.

Hi! This is a bit pointless really but I was wondering what Ste thought of Joel and Brendan so I wrote this. Please review, thanks!

Ste

I was walking through the street, minding my own buisness, when I met someone I would rather not have.

"What d'ya want Joel?" I sighed, turning around to find him behind me.

"You and Brendan, what is he to you?" He asked in his scottish drawl.

I bet this was about when I'd been talking to Brendan earlier. I'd only been telling him to leave Doug alone. Brendan seemed to love tourmenting him lately. Joel must have saw us. Ha, the jealous little git. Did he feel left out. Aww. This thing that he had going with Brendan really was adorable. Not.

"None of your buisness. Now leave me alone." I replied, bored of this all ready. I didn't want to talk to Brendan's pet.

"I asked you a question." He growled, stepping closer to me and trying to tower over me. It failed since he was barely any taller than me. I smirked at the Brendan-like gesture. How pathetic. Joel couldn't pull it of, not properly.

"Go run back to your master, Joel. I think you need a few more lessons." I told him.

"Don't act smart." He scowled.

I couldn't help but laugh. It was just so unbelievable that Brendan was Joel's teacher. I'd seen it in the way Joel looks at him, he admires Brendan so much.

"What's so funny?" He snarled.

"You are, apparently. You think Brendan cares about you, that he'll help you?" I laughed again. "Could you be any more of an idiot?" I didn't mention the fact that I'd thought Brendan had cared about _me_, once upon a time. That was under entirely different cicumstances. Besides, I'd learnt my lesson. However, I did _not _want Brendan's mini-me stalking me and acting all intimidating. It was just plain _wierd_.

"What the hell are you on about?" He looked pissed of at the insult but he also looked curious.

"You want Brendan to teach you, right? You want to be looked up to, feared by people. You think Brendan's going to help you with that? Like Hell he would." Joel narrowed his eyes at me but otherwise didn't comment. "I suppose he said he saw something in you, _potential_. Am I right? He said he would help you _be _someone, someone nobody would mess with. And you fell for it."

"How the fuck do you know that?" He glared at me.

"I know Brendan. I know him alot more than you apparently." I sighed, "Joel, how d'ya think Brendan got to where he is now? By using people, manipulating them and then dumping them. That's what he's doing to you - using you. I suppose he's gotten you doing "favours" to prove yourself, dodgy stuff. What more could he need? You're loyal to him, strong enough to hold your own but not stronger than him, you'll take care of the illegal things and he can manipulate you easily to do what he wants - wheather with the club or other stuff, it doesn't matter. To him, you're just a tool to be used. When he's done, he'll get rid of you. The only person he cares about is himself, everyone else he controls through any means nessessary. Do you really think you're anything different? You wanted to know about Brendan? Well I'll tell you the most important thing there is to know: don't trust him. Now get the fuck out of my way."

Joel looked a bit taken aback so I walked away, shaking my head. Joel had no idea as to what he'd gotten himself into.

"Hey Ste?" He shouted.

I turned around, "What?"

"You're wrong. I _am _different, you're just jealous that Brendan doesn't care about you anymore." He smirked. He thought he'd hit a nerve. Too bad that all my nerves regarding Brendan had long since gone numb.

"Is that right?" I asked, smiling. He couldn't be more wrong.

"Yeah."

"If you say so." I mumbled, before turning around and walking away.

"Oh, and Ste?" I froze but didn't turn around. "Stay away from Brendan or you'll have me to deal with."

I shook my head, laughing before walking away.

I saw Brendan later, he was walking towards me and called, "Well well, hello Stephen. Doug been keeping you busy?"

I walked up to him. He seemed suprised that I hadn't just walked past like normal but he covered it quickly with a smirk.

"Oh, finally decided to talk to me. I knew you would eventually." He smirked,

"Call of your gaurd dog." I told him, not smiling.

"What?" He looked genuinly confused.

"Joel." I explained.

"What about him?" Brendan asked.

"I know you've got some wierd student-teacher thing going on and, to be honest, I don't care. I just don't want to be involved."

"Careful Stephen, you're starting to sound jealous." Brendan told me. Jealous? Why did everyone think I'd be jealous? I wanted nothing to do with their warped realationship. It wasn't like they were together, right?

"In your dreams. I want nothing to do with it. That's why I'm talking to you. Get you're pet back under control Brendan." I replied.

"What's he done?"

"What were his exact words exactly? Oh yeah,_ 'Stay away from Brendan or you'll have me to deal with'._" I said in an attempt at a scottsh accent. Brendan actually cracked a smile at that and my heart fluttered. Then he realised what I'd said and he looked seriously pissed of. "I'm not the one who's jealous Brendan. Joel's being asking questions about us, questions I don't want to answer, least of all to him. Tell him to back off before he does something he'll regret."

"He shouldn't have said that." Brendan said, looking at me strangely.

"What game are you playing?" I wondered, thinking of Joel. "Actuall, you know what? I don't want to know."

"Joel doesn't mean anything to me." Brendan replied. Why was he being honest? I almost wish he'd lied. When Brendan was honest, it never lead to anything good.

"You're just using him, I know that. Joel doesn't though - he looks up to you. Are you sure you wanna mess with him?" I ask, part of me wandering why I even care.

Brendan didn't reply, he was still staring at me. It was begining to freak me out. "Right, I'm gonna go. See ya."

"Bye Stephen." He replied.

Brendan

Joel was going to be suprised when I get a hold of him. Who did he think he was, threatening Stephen? My Stephen. I'd meant what I'd said - Joel doesn't mean anything to me. He's a pawn: simple. There's only one person I've ever cared about properly. Only one person that had started as just another pawn as well but had evolved into something so much more. And that person was Stephen.

Rachey Ayy xx


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